Walker



May 6, 1958 WQA. NABORS WALKER Filed March 20, 1956 INVENTOR W. A. NABORS AT TQRNEY WALKER William -A. Nabors, Birmingham, Ala.

Application March 20, 1956, Serial No. 572,7 17 2 Claims. Cl. 155-22 This invention relates to supports and more particularly to a movable upright enclosure within which an invalid or person learning to walk or needing support during walking may move about or rest in either standing or sitting position.

Walkers of this general type have been in use heretofore. However, these have usually been relatively complex in structure or fabrication and have oftentimes not been as sturdy as required or conveniently adjustable and easy to use. I

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a walker which may be easily constructed and which is sturdy, easy to use, adjustable for persons of different sizes both in width and height, and which may be used by an individual in standing or sitting position.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompaning drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a walker constructed in accordance with the present invention, fragmentary portions being shown in phantom to illustrate its adjustability; and

Fig. 2, a section on the line 22 of Fig. l.

Briefly stated, the invention includes a wheel-mounted three-sided base having hinged substantially upright panel or frame members mounted on the side portions of the base and connected at spaced intervals at their front ends by braces which are adjustable to vary the angularity of the frames and the resultant spacing between their upper portions. Crutch members are adjustably mounted in the frames so that persons of different height may use them and a removable seat member is provided which may be supported across the rear portions of the frames. All parts of the device are constructed and arranged so that they may be easily fabricated and assembled by persons having a minimum amount of mechanical skill.

Referring to the drawing, the walker comprises an open three-sided base having a front member 11 and perpendicularly extending sides 12 and 13 at the ends thereof. The front and sides preferably have their connecting corner portions rabbeted as indicated at 14 and are held together by bolts or suitable fastening elements 15. In order to provide for the mobility of the device swingable front wheels 16 and 17 mounted in brackets 18 and 19 are pivotally mounted in the underside of the rabbeted corner portions 14 at the front of the device and fixed wheels 20 and 21 mounted in brackets 22, 23 are connected to the underside of the rear portion of the side members 1.2 and 13 by suitable fastening means. Angle bracing members 24, 25 may be connected by fasteners 26 to the end portions of the members 11, 12 and 13 at their corners in order to strengthen the connecting portions if desired.

Extending upwardly from the side members 12 and 13 are a pair of frames or panels 30, 31, each of which is comprised of a plurality of spaced uprights or slats 32, 33, 34, 35 having a crosspiece 36 secured thereto by fasnited States-atent 2,833,332 Patented May a, 195 s ends the uprights are connected on their interior and exterior sides by spaced cross members 38, which may be a steel bar, by fastening means 39. Blocks 36 are preferably secured between the members 38 intermediate the uprights in order to improve the strength and appearance.

At their lower endseach of the uprights 32-35 has a hinge plate 49 connected by fastening means 41, the hinge plates having a laterallydisposed ear 42 through which a fasteningelement 43 may extend for holding the ear 42 to the upright portion 44 of an angle bracket member 45 connected to the side members. 12 and '13, there being a plurality of angle brackets. members 45 spaced substantially equally from front to rear of the side members 12 and 13 and secured. thereto by fastening means 46.

Crutch members consisting of side pieces 50, 51 having a padded top crosspiece 52 are providedfor each of the side frames, the side pieces each having a plurality of spaced openings 53 in order that the height of the crutches may be adjusted. The crutches are mounted centrally of the side frames and extend intermediate the bar 33 and a supporting bar 54 connected by fastening elements 55 on the sides of the upper end of the central uprights 33 and 34 opposite to the bar 38. The crutch side pieces 56, 51

A are received'between a pair of spaced rails 56, 57

attached to the uprights 33 and 34 by fastening means 58 so that a substantial portion of the rails projects outwardly past the inner facing edges of the uprights 33 and ea. Fastening elements 60 extend at spaced locations through the rails 56, 57 and the openings 53 in the side pieces of the crutch, to hold the crutch in the desired position a belt 59 may be attached to the bars 38 and 54 to provide added support for individuals requiring it.

At the upper rear portion of the frame members intermediate the uprights 32 and 33 a crossbar 62 is secured by suitable fastening elements 63 in order to support a removable seat 64 comprising a supporting element 65 having abutments 66 such as a quarter round or the like extending downwardly from each end in order to prevent the seat from being slipped off of the supports.

At the forward end of the frames a pair of upper and lower bracing elements 66 and 67 are illustrated, each of these being comprised of a pair of struts 68 connected by fastening members 69 to the lateral face 70 of angle members 71 which are attached by suitable fastening means to the front uprights 35, the struts being joined at their intersection by fastening elements 72.

As indicated in phantom the struts of the lower brace 66 are somewhat lengthier than necessary for operativeness in order that they remain angularly disposed rather than extend in a straight line as in the case of the upper brace when the frames are separated their maximum amount. This permits a person using the device to more easily ad'- just the spacing of the side frames Without having to manually move the brace 66 away from dead center in which the struts are aligned in order to move the frames toward each other as would otherwise be the case. I

The provision of a pair of braces, rather than a single brace, spaced apart on the frames strengthens the enclosure, including making it more rigid, because of the additional points of support thereby provided.

A person desiring to use the device enters from the rear after moving the seat 64 out of. his way and then replaces it. He can adjust the height of the crutch members and the spacing of the frames to suit his particular size and comfort. The fastening elements holding the braces in adjusted position may be tightened to the degree necessary to hold the frames for ordinary use, or more permanently, depending on the frequency of adjustment required for different individuals using the device.

' 3 The device is easy to steer because of the ability of the front wheels to he turned in different directions, the rear wheels providing the pivot during turning. For a person in an advanced stage of recovery, or otherwise not requiring'fixed rear wheels, the rear wheels may be swing able to facilitate steering The user may, support l1imself substantially entirely on the crutches as he walks along or he may seathimself on the seat 64, either to rest or as ,he rides along propelling himselfby his feet. Accordingly,,it will be understood that; thedevice is sturdy and easy to use. p

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A walker for accommodating a person in an upright,

*ble toward and away from each other for accommodating 7 persons requiring diflerentwidth spacing of the upper ends thereof, said frame panels having spaced parallel slats in the portion thereof adjacent the open end of said base for receiving a seat, cross bars extending between said spaced slats for supporting a movable seat, a seat removably mounted on said cross bars for accommodating a person and removable to permit a person to walk into and out of said walker, adjustable crutch members mounted on said frame panels centrally thereof and vertically adjustable relative thereto for accommodating persons of ditferent heights, means to adjust and maintain the angularity of the frame panels and means to adjust the height of the crutch members.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the antifriction means includes rollers mounted on the free ends of said side members with their axes fixed transversely of said side members whereby said rollers will permit said base to move parallel to said side members but will prevent lateral movement of said free ends of said side members and a caster mounted adjacent the intersection of each side member with said transverse member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 112,691 Comper Dec. 27, 1938 906,845 Adair Dec. 15, 1908 1,394,224 Scott Oct. 18, 1921 1,745,569 Eberle Feb. 4, 1930 1,971,583 Skinner Aug. 28, 1934 2,129,260 Bowser Sept. 6, 1938 2,165,700 Glynn July 11, 1939 2,732,004 Forbes Jan. 24, 1956 

